Improve Literacy in America

Illiteracy in America

Dear Representative

This petition will focus on the high rates of illiteracy in America and the various impacts that this epidemic has on our society. While there have been efforts in the past by the federal government to ensure the effectiveness of the American education system, it seems they have consistently failed to meet the mark. This petition will outline the current problem according to the latest research, a brief analysis of the No Child Left Behind Act, and actions that can be taken to improve the situation.

Literacy experts believe that over 90 million adults lack a sufficient foundation of basic literacy skills to function successfully in our society and, as a consequence, lose over 200 billion dollars a year in income (Children of the Code, 2008). 43% of Americans with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty and 70% have no job or a part-time job. Compared to only 5% of Americans with strong literacy skills who live in poverty. 75% of unemployed adults have reading or writing difficulties.

To highlight how the problem of illiteracy creates a ripple effect to so many other societal problems, take a look at the following statement by Dr. Paula Tallal, Chair of Neuroscience at Rutgers University:

“Every public major concern has a much higher incidence of reading problems attached to it: from juvenile delinquency, to teen pregnancy, to failure to graduate from high school, to drug problems. You take anything that we say is a major concern, and there is a higher than expected incidence, by far, of individuals who have struggled with reading or had a frank learning disability.” (Children of the Code, 2008)

Children of the Code is an invaluable resource on the topic of illiteracy. Children of the Code: A Social Education Project (COTC), is a public television, DVD & web documentary series that consists of articles, videos, and interviews with leading neuroscientists, psychologists, reading researchers, educators, historians, economists, technologists and policy leaders (www.childrenofthecode.org). The documentary is designed to shed light on the extreme complexity of how we learn to read, and the numerous negative outcomes that result when children have difficulty in this task of “breaking the code”. Children of the Code is the most comprehensive resource that was found on learning disabilities and the correlation to behavior problems. It is comprehensive in the fact that it does not approach illiteracy or learning disabilities from one angle, but demonstrates its impact on many levels, such as: damage to cognitive and emotional health and development, consequences of being ashamed of one's mind and learning abilities, loss of self-esteem, diminished academic opportunity, lost income opportunity, educational costs to the taxpayers, perpetuation of racial and ethnic inequality, correlated justice and welfare system costs to the taxpayers, loss of such a significant percentage of the population contributing to—instead of draining—the economy, the loss of such a significant percentage of the population participating in our political process, Loss in international economic competitiveness (COTC, 2008). Thus, summing up what many people often misunderstand about the importance of reading— it is not just a burden that educators bear alone, it is a social responsibility.

The research indicates that an inability to read is associated with negative emotions such as frustration, agitation, avoidance, and shame which leads to behavior problems in schools and involvement with the juvenile justice system (Morgan, Farkas, Tufis, & Sperling, 2008; Keith and McCray, 2002). Take a look at the following appalling quotes:

"There are actually states in the United States that build prisons based on how many people are illiterate” (Morrow, 2003, as cited on COTC website).

“The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence and crime is welded to reading failure” (U.S. Department of Justice, as cited on COTC website).

“70% of the inmates in America’s prisons can’t read above the 4th grade level”(State of Adult Literacy Report, 2006, as cited on COTC website )
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These are shocking statistics with grave implications for our society that demand our attention and our action. We cannot continue to allow these children with so much potential just pass through the system because they need a little more help and direction. It seems that the system is set up to cater to the ones who are bright and breeze through their education with no problem, while the ones who really need the opportunities that our educational system can afford them get passed by.

This problem was the focus of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 under the Bush Administration. But it has faced major criticisms and does not seem to have alleviated the problem. the two greatest frustrations that seem to continually emerge from the literature is: a) the scientifically “effective” tests are ineffective in reality and not a true reflection of students’ capabilities; teachers feel that their ability to really teach is being hindered, and they have just become one piece of the assembly line in manufacturing minds. b) In theory the need for every child to be equally educated is good, but if the federal government wants to make such firms demands, they need to back the demands up with dollars.

Therefore, it is this writer’s belief that there needs to be more attention given to after-school programs that can more specifically and individually address the needs of students who are having reading difficulties. To incorporate fun activities that are educational at the same time. After-school programs can serve multiple purposes and provide benefits to the students, parents, and community. 1) It decreases the amount of unsupervised time between school and parents returning home from work, 2) This in turn decreases the likelihood that students will be involved in the wrong activities, 3) It allows for learning to take place in a structured while at the same time offering more fun and freedom than the school setting 4) Students can receive one-on-one tutoring without having to be singled out to go to remedial classrooms, 5) Students also get to work together in groups with students with similar learning difficulties, therefore helping them to realize they are not alone—decreasing their sense of shame and isolation.

Early detection is another key factor in the problem of illiteracy. Several articles indicate that a crucial period for acquiring and developing literary skill is before third grade (Keith & McCray, 2002; Rivera Al-Otaiba, & Koorland, 2006; Rayner, Foorman, Perfetti, Pesetsky, & Seidenberg, 2001(cited in Rivera et al., 2006); after this point intervention becomes increasingly difficult. Therefore it would be especially beneficial for these after-school programs to target this age group.
The research provides evidence that illiteracy is a problem that demands our attention and our resources. Why keep funneling tax-payer money into an initiative that has not proven any significant results? The money needs to be given to local programs that can promote the well-bring of its own community members. When there is personal interest vested, the motivation is greater. If we could just realize how much money we could save in the long-run by developing systems that are proactive rather than reactive, changes might start happening. For example, Keith and McCray (2002) note that the average cost of illiteracy in adolescents is $29,600 per incarcerated youth. The Criminal Justice Policy Council studied 26,000 inmates who were released from prison in 1997 and 1998 (Susswein, 2000 as cited in Keith & McCray, 2002). They found that young, uneducated prisoners were 37% less likely to return to prison if they learned to read while incarcerated. Also, improvements in reading and other academic areas indicated a stronger influence on recidivism among younger inmates than older ones. Thus, giving support to the importance of academic interventions in the juvenile justice system. Why should we wait until they are incarcerated to intervene? How about giving them the skills they need to keep them from ever entering that system?
Similarly, Katsiyannis and Archwamety (1999) compared recidivists and non-recidivists, finding that non-recidivists (those who did not return to prison) consistently scored higher on intelligence tests, committed their first offense at a later age, and performed at higher levels on educational measures. Other studies have confirmed these same findings, (Malmgren & Leon, 2000; Center on Crime, Communities, and Culture,1997). This seems to indicate that the more educational skills we can equip individuals with, the less likely they are to ever become involved in delinquent activities.
It is my opinion that no one is born with the desire to cheat, lie, steal, and kill—these are all learned behaviors. Either they are learned through their environment because their parents did not have the value of education instilled in them so they teach them these maladaptive skills, or they discover that the consequences for these actions are less painful than the feelings of shame and rejection that they face in a school system that is primarily concerned with its overall performance rather than individual lives. Any real change always starts with one person who decides to make a difference. Won’t you join me today to make a difference right where you are? This can be as simple as reading with your little brother or sister or starting an after-school tutoring group of your own. Thank you for your time in regards to this important matter.

[Your name]